A coal freighter ran aground near the mouth of the Mississippi River Tuesday and was freed a short while later, but the incident raised fresh questions about cutbacks in the Army Corps of Engineers' dredging of the river. The 738-foot-long Panamanian-flagged ship Rondeau ran aground Tuesday morning on its way to the Gulf of Mexico and later was freed, the Coast Guard said. The grounding did not impede river traffic. The Coast Guard said there were no reports of injuries or pollution.

The grounding took place near Venice, south of New Orleans.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Bill Colclough said the ship would be inspected for damage before continuing on its voyage.

U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., said the grounding showed that the Army Corps needs to step up dredging in the lower sections of the river. Budget cuts have left the agency with less money for dredging and shippers have been warning about the threat from groundings due to the silting conditions.

Scalise blasted the corps and the Obama administration for not spending more on dredging the river.